Curtain for vehicle-tops.



W.- T. MURRAY.

CURTAIN FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1910.

1,034,280. Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

William 71 Muzzy W. T. MURRAY.

CURTAIN FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1910.

Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1 awumtoz William TMurm y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I WILLIAM TrllUmY, OF BALDWIN, KANSAS.

- CURTAINFOB VEHICLE 'I'OPS.

Specification-of Letters Patent.

Application fledflovember 9, 1910. Serial No. 591,484.

To aI/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baldwin, in the county of Douglas and State of. Kansas, have invented new and useful Im rovements in fCurt-ains for Vehicle-Tops, e which the following is a specification. This invention relates to curtains for vehicle tops, and it'has particular reference to a curtain: applied to the back 013 the vehicle to En vehicle tops, as ordinarily constructed,

when .the same are lowered, the back re-" quires to be folded, thus preventing the presence" of rigid guides for a curtain of a considerable length.

The object: of the present-invention is to produce an roved curtain guidefor a spring actuate roller curtain, said guide being composed of a pluralityof members suitably spaced apart so as not to interfere and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred'form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to theprecise structural details therein exhibited,

but that changes, alterations 'and modificwtions within the scope of the invention, may be resorted to when desired.

Inthe drawings,-Figure *1 is a vertical sectional view. of a buggy top, the: back of which is provided with the improved spring-actuatedroller curtain.- Fig. 2- is a rear elevation ofthe-back of. the vehicle top,

parts having been broken away in order to expose subjacent parts- Fig. 3; is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view, of one of the curtain guides detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the l top guides. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of the bottom: guides.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference;

The vehicle top A is supported in the usual manner by means including the front bow B, the rear how 0 and the middle bow port. the top in extended position.

i The back member 1 of the top is su 0rt-' ed essentially by the rear bow O, saidliack member being constructed in the usual manner of flexible material, suchas. oil cloth, rubber cloth or the like. An opening or aperture 2 is formed midway between the sides of said backmember, saidopening extending nearlyfrom the top to the bottom thereof. In cutting or forming said aperture, the material or part of the material is leftattachedat the side edges of said aperture to form flaps, the use 0t which will be presently made; apparent.

. The curtainB is made of flexible material similar to' that of which the back is constructed, and said curtain is suitably at.- tached to and adapted to-be wound upon 'a s ri actuated roller 4 supported for rota: tlOE; \1n brackets 5 which-may be mounted upon the top of therear bow C.- The curtainis provided adjacent to its side edges withahems Gin which-flexible cords 7 are confined.

Suitably secured upon the back 1 adjacent to the side edges of the aperture 2' are guide members- G which may be suitably ormed of wire by bending the same, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4, to form-two 'U- shaped tongues'8, 8 connected together by abridge piece .9 and provided with terminal divergent'legs. 10; said U-shaped tongues being bent-toward. each other-seas to form a verticallydisposed loop 11.-

A- plurality of D; jointed braces E being provided to sup- 50 cured in an intermediate pos1t1on,'an exthese guide members are secured adjacent to each side edge of the aperture 2, the flaps 12 adjacent to said side membersbeing inserted into the vertical loops 11, and afterward lapped over the body of the back member and secured thereto by stitching 1 The legs 10 of the guide vmembers B are provided with terminal eyes 14, and not only are said guide members firmly secured by stitching upon the back member 1, but the portions of the flaps 12 which are inserted into the loops l1 are firmly stitched or otherwise attached to said loops, thus forming vertical guide grooves 15 for the reception of the reinforced side edges of the curtain. It is obvious that when the latter is lowered and the side edges thereof reinforced by the flexible cords within the hems 6 are guided in the grooves 15, the parts will be retained in assembled condition by the guide members, the latterbeing so constructed and proportioned that the reinforced side edges of the curtain may not be readily withdrawn from between the tongues 11.

Adjacent to the top and the bottom of the aperture 2 specially constructed guide members are used, said guide members" being connected together. by a cross bar: 16. Each of the guides, here designated G, is provided only with a single leg, here designated 10, which in the case of the top guides are extended to and connected with the top of the rear bow C, while in the case of the bottom guides, the said legs may be connected with or attached to the back of the seat, as'

shown at 17, or with some other suitable point of attachment. The cross bars 16 also serve for engagement wit-h the hook members 18 suitably attached adjacent to the lower edge of the curtain which may thus be retained when drawn down against the tension of the spring actuated roller for the purpose of obstructingthe opening 2, or it may be retarded by engagement with the top cross bar when the curtain is raised.

.It would be within the scope of the invenbers with connecting cross bars, as shown at 16, in order that the curtain may be seample of this being shown in dotted lines at 16 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The curtain may be provided with a window, as shown at-20, the same being constructed of celluloid or other material which is capable of being rolled without danger-of breakage.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the o eration and advantages of this invention w1ll be readily understood. The

members extending across construction is simple, inexpensive and thoroughly efficient for the purposes for which it is provided. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a carriage top, a flexible back member, a curtain associated therewith, and ourtain guides consisting of folds formed of portions of the back member, said folds presenting grooves having unbroken surfaces to receive and guide the side edges of the curtain; in combination with spaced guides, each including a pair of tongues bent to form a vertically disposed loop for the reception of the folds constituting the guide grooves.

2. In a carriage top, a flexible back member having an aperture, spaced guides adjacent to the side edges of said aperture, each of said guides including a pair of tongues .bent to form a vertically disposed .loop,

flaps adjacent to the side edges of the aperture inserted into and secured in said loops, folded over the guide members and atttached to the body of the back member to form vertical flexible guide grooves, a suitably supported spring actuated roller, and a curtain connected with said roller and having thickened reinforced side edges operating in the vertical flexible guide grooves.

3. In a vehicle top, a flexible back member having an aperture, flaps adjacent to the side edges of said aperture, said flaps being folded to present vertical grooves, rigid guide members secured at intervals in the folds between the back member and the side flaps and including tongues combining to form vertical guide loops, a suitabl supported spring actuated roller, and a exible curtain upon said roller having reinforced side edges operating in the vertical guide grooves.

4. In a vehicle top, a flexible back member having an aperture, flaps adjacent to the side edges of said aperture, said flaps being folded to form vertical guide grooves, rigid guide members reinforcmg said guide grooves at intervals, some of said guide members being connected in plairs by bridge t e aperture, a suitably supported spring actuated roller,

and a flexible curtain connected with said roller and having reinforced side edges engaging'the guide grooves, and hook members adapted to engage the bridge members connecting the guide members.

5. In a vehicle top, a flexible back member having an aperture, flaps adjacent to the side edges of said aperture, said flaps beingfolded to form vertical uide grooves, rigid guide members reinforcing said guide grooves adjacent to the top and bottom edges of the aperture, said guide members being connected in pairs by bridge pieces extending across the aperture, and said guide members beingprovided with limbs, supporting members for the flexible back member to which the limbs of the guide members are attached, a suitably su ported spring actuated roller, and a flexi 1e curtain connected with the roller, said curtain being 10 provided with reinforced side edges engaging' the guide grooves'ahd with hook mem bers adapted to engage the bridge member's extendin across the aperture.

In testimony whereof I afiix' my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM .T. MURRAY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. BEEKs, W. M. CLARK. 

